In its inaugural year, the DIFC Gulf Art Fair is proud to support a rich display of projects by a group of internationally acclaimed artists, unified by the themes of light and language. The aim of the Art Projects is to offer visitors that little bit more – many of the installations are interactive and require visitors to walk through an artwork and become a part of it. Light and Language are powerful forces of communication. The artworks which have been created in response to those forces are made using a variety of materials and produce different aesthetic effects.

Some artists are supported by participating galleries; others have been commissioned by the DIFC Gulf Art Fair to make new work for 2007.

To encourage, support and present works of art by local and international artists – both up-and-coming and established – is an integral mission of the DIFC Gulf Art Fair, and one that will continue to grow. A range of projects will be on display on the water terrace close to the Madinat Arena, in the water around Fort Island, on Jumeirah Beach and at the DIFC building.

As visitors leave the Fair Arena, they will be greeted with a host of installations. In the foyer the UK artist Sarah Strang will present a project untitled Market Place, commenting on the emerging art market here in Dubai. On the façade of the Madinat, Beth Derbyshire (UK) will display a light installation of the word Together in English and Arabic which moves across the exterior of the building. Works on the water terrace will include sculptures by Emily Young (The Fine Art Society), Patricia Millns and Khaled Ben Slimane (El Marsa). The water around Fort Island will be full of sculptures on boats and directly in the water by the Lebanese artist & architect Nadim Karam, a project entitled Transients.

More sculptures by Nadim Karam will be displayed at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Sheikh Zayed Road, in the waterfalls and water surrounding the monumental gate building.Other works there will include a giant kaleidoscope by Lara Baladi (Townhouse Gallery), sculptures by Conrad Shawcross (Victoria Miro Gallery), Simon Hitchens (Crane Kalman), Parviz Tanavoli, Sophie Ernst and Patrizio Travagli.

Jumeirah Beach will be an additional site for Art Projects. Here visitors we be able to see a large sculpture by Keith Haring (Enrico Navarra and Malca Fine Arts) and site-specific installations by the Indian artists Subodh Kerkar (Art India) and Sunil Gawde (Enrico Navarra and Sashski Gallery).

Notes to Editors

• Want to learn about art and don't know where to begin? Want to visit every hot spot in town, but have cold feet? Grab a ticket on Jam Jar's Art Bus and get an education. The hop-on-hop-off luxury bus will ply around important art destinations, and with the Art Map in hand, you can act as knowledgeable as they come. Visit the galleries, DIFC’s installations and take in a dozen exhibitions and chat up the tour guides. Just Dhs. 50 will save you the torture of traffic, and make you an authority on art. For further information and a timetable please consult the information desk in the foyer to the Madinat Arena during the fair

• Art Projects will be on view for the duration of the DIFC Gulf Art Fair 2007. Visitors are allowed to visit the beach area until 6.30pm each day and the DIFC building until 11pm.

• An extension to the Art Project installations will be the Video Booth on Fort Island, the Bloomberg Bidoun Lounge for the duration of the DIFC Gulf Art Fair. An hour and a half programme of video work focussing on artists from the Middle East is being coordinated by Bidoun Magazine, The Third Line and the DIFC Gulf Art Fair.